NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on LaMarcus Aldridge, Mike Miller and More

As the summer progresses, the NBA rumor mill begins to cool off. Most of the major moves have been made, and teams are looking to see how the new pieces gel together before making any additional moves.

That said, the rumor mill hasn't quite stopped and there is enough buzz to keep fans excited.

LaMarcus Aldridge wants out of Portland. Maybe. Try to follow the weird story.

First, Aldridge went to Blazers management and said he would like to be moved, according to the Portland Tribune.

Then, Aldridge went on the defensive, telling The Oregonian that "I haven't demanded a trade."

But there was another twist in this story. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reported that Aldridge would be interested in a trade if the Blazers don't improve:

Does Aldridge want out of Portland? Yes and no, a source close to the 6-10 forward informed CSNNW.com.

If Portland doesn't have plans to drastically improve its roster in time for the 2013-14 NBA season, Aldridge would prefer to be moved, and his first choice would be Chicago, the source said.

And if that wasn't enough, Haynes reported that Aldridge's camp met with general manager Neil Olshey to discuss potential trade scenarios.

So will Aldridge be traded? Hard to say. He is under contract until 2015, and Haynes notes that the Blazers would want to receive more than just draft picks.

In addition, the Blazers are a team on the rise. Damian Lillard should only improve from his terrific rookie season, and C.J. McCollum profiles as a top shooter. Robin Lopez will take some defensive pressure off Aldridge, and Wesley Matthews is one of the more underrated players in the league.

In other words, the Blazers have a really nice core, but it's only worth anything if Aldridge stays.

Aldridge averaged 21.1 points and 9.1 rebounds last season. He is one of the top big men in the league, yet often goes unnoticed.

A move to a perennial contender would boost his profile, but he has no leverage as of now. If the Blazers cannot improve on last year's 33-49 record, then perhaps the Blazers could use Aldridge's talent to get assets to build around Lillard.

For the foreseeable future, however, it looks like Aldridge will remain in Rip City.

Mike Miller

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Mike Miller is garnering a lot of interest from playoff teams looking to bolster their bench.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!, the Oklahoma City Thunder are emerging as the front-runners.

Oklahoma City has emerged as a frontrunner to sign free agent Mike Miller, league sources tell Y! Sports.

Playing with the Miami Heat last season, Miller averaged 4.8 points per game in just over 15 minutes a night. Known as a sharpshooter, Miller shot 41 percent from beyond the arc. In the postseason, he upped that to 44 percent.

Miller will not play a starting role, but he is great off the bench and has plenty of playoff experience. A team like the Oklahoma City Thunder would benefit from his shooting, as he could take some pressure off Kevin Durant.

Kendall Marshall

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Once hailed as the successor to Steve Nash, Kendall Marshall has been a big disappointment for the Phoenix Suns.

Last season, he averaged three points and three assists in 14.6 minutes a night.

With Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Shannon Brown ahead of Marshall on the depth chart, the Suns are looking to trade the 21-year-old.

In fact, they're pretty much offering Marshall to anybody who will take him, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Howard-Cooper quotes an NBA executive as saying, "they’re trying to attach him to pretty much any deal that comes up. If you want to talk about any of their players, they include him. He’s basically the price of admission to any trade right now."

It's not yet clear what the Suns could get in return, but it seems like they're not looking for much. Marshall is young, and just a year ago he was very highly regarded.

While the Suns don't have a place for him on their roster, it does seem like they're giving up on him too soon. He does have a long ways to go on defense, as Phoenix was outscored by 13.2 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. But he also possesses preternatural passing ability. With time, he could end up being a top-tier NBA point guard.

If that happens, though, it probably won't be with the Suns. There are simply too many players ahead of him.